Michaela Ramm

Iowa Department of Public Health officials announced Thursday that a new variant of the novel coronavirus, known as the Brazilian variant, has been detected in one individual in Johnson County.

Over the past year, more UIHC health care workers developed a COVID-19 infection after they were exposed at home, compared to exposure in the community or at work, university researchers found in a new study.

Johnson County residents aged 16 and older are eligible to sign-up for a large COVID-19 vaccine clinic that will be hosted in Iowa City Saturday. Hy-Vee, the hosting pharmacy, plans to administer 1,000 Pfizer doses this weekend.

On Tuesday morning, the Iowa Department of Public Health advised vaccine providers across the state to pause administration of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson. Federal officials say they’re investigating six U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot that occurred in six people after receiving the shot.

The Eastern Iowa Health Center will receive hundreds of doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine starting this week to distribute to its patient, who are often low-income or face barriers to accessing health care. The doses are allocated to the health center by a federal program with the nation’s federally qualified health centers.

Downtown Cedar Rapids will be host to a large, 24-hour COVID-19 vaccine clinic this weekend in an effort to reach populations that need flexible hours for scheduling a shot. The vaccine clinic will be hosted by Reutzel Pharmacy in collaboration with Linn County Public Health and the Iowa Pharmacy Association.

The effort to reach vulnerable populations in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout will include homeless populations for the first time in Cedar Rapids this week. Mercy Medical Center is partnering with local agencies to administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to individuals experiencing homelessness at two vaccine clinics.

The Cedar Rapids NAACP hosted two vaccine clinics this week, reaching roughly 100 vulnerable residents. However, some individuals continued to express discomfort in the vaccine, even after they had received the shot, but had decided to set those concerns aside “for the greater good.”

The Iowa City Free Medical Clinic officially opened its doors in March 1971, making it the second-longest running free clinic in the United States. Despite challenges of the past year presented by the pandemic, officials say their organization is still going strong.

Effective Monday, hospitalized and emergency room patients at UnityPoint Health-Cedar Rapids and Mercy Medical Center will be allowed two visitors at a time.

Fire has ’minimal impact’ on health system’s local operations

Starting next month, St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids will renovate its third floor, completely replacing two inpatient units and “modernizing” patient rooms and other spaces.

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